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How to Build an Arbor Trellis for Muscadine Vines

By Tracy Morris; Updated September 21, 2017

A muscadine is a relative to the grape family that grows wild throughout the southern United States. This grape is distinguished by a leathery outer husk and clustered seeds at its core. When growing cultivated varieties of muscadine, you will need to construct a trellis in order to get the grape species to produce fruit. In the wild, muscadines can be found growing in old fence rows. An arbor trellis constructed of wire similar to these fence rows is one of the simplest trellises that you can construct.

Measure the locations for your arbor supports and mark them on the ground with a can of spray paint.

Measure the length of your 4 x 4 posts for your arbor supports. Dig your post holes with a post hole digger so that they are ¼ the length of the supports.

Fill the bottom of each hole with 2 inches of gravel.

Place each support on its end in a hole and brace upright with 2 x 4 boards. Use a carpenter’s level to ensure that the braces are upright.

Mix cement with water until it is the consistency of a mud pie. Fill each post hole with cement to anchor the supports in place. Allow cement to dry and cure 48 hours.

Lift two 4 x 4 boards to the top of the 4 x 4 supports to form crosspieces. The arbor sides should form two upside down U shapes.

Drill though the crosspieces and into the upright posts with your 7/16 inch drill bit to a depth of 9 inches.

Attach your 10 inch lag bolts by slipping them into drill holes and tightening with a wrench.

Affix clothesline hooks by screwing them into the sides of the arbor every 1 ½ to 2 feet on each arbor side.

Tie the two arbor sides together by connecting the clothesline hooks with lengths of clothesline. Your muscadine vines will climb across the clothesline and up the sides of the arbor.

Things You Will Need

Spray paint

Measuring tape

6 4 x 4 posts

8 2 x 4 wooden braces

Carpenter's level

Fence post digger

Gravel

Cement

Water

7/16 inch drill bit

Drill

4 10 inch lag bolts

Wrench

Clothesline hooks

Clothesline wire

References

Resources

About the Author

Tracy Morris has been a freelance writer since 2000. She has published novels and numerous online articles. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers including "Ferrets," "CatFancy," "Lexington Herald Leader" and "The Tulsa World." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Arkansas.